Downtown to get fully staffed, 24-hour police precinct

Precinct would meet needs of thriving business district

Officers from Tuscaloosa Police Department's East Precinct will meet with residents from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Sept. 30 at Belle Foods during its "Coffee with a Cop" event.

Staff file photo | Robert Sutton

By Jason MortonStaff Writer | The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 8:59 p.m.

With the success of Tuscaloosa Police precincts in the eastern and western areas of the city, officials now are looking to bring a stronger police presence downtown.

Mayor Walt Maddox has announced plans to open a fully staffed, around-the-clock police precinct in the downtown area.

Details are not finalized, but the mayor said it may be in one of three locations: an unused space on the bottom floor of the parking deck, an empty lot behind the former Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama building or a connection to the Tuscaloosa Municipal Court building.

“Since 2012, our central city has continued to grow — which is a good thing,” Maddox said. “We have high concentrations of residents living in these areas, and the (police) chief and I agree that the timing is right.”

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson announced plans to decentralize the police department soon after taking over as head of the police force in 2008.

This led to the construction of the department's East Precinct, which brought about a crime rate drop of 38 percent just six months after it opened in 2009, and the West Precinct that opened in August.

However, Anderson said he did not consider a downtown precinct at the time because downtown had yet to become the hotbed of growth in the residential and commercial markets that it is now.

“With the growth of downtown, in both residential and entertainment areas, it just makes ... more sense to put more public safety resources down there because we're having more people moving downtown to live,” Anderson said. “We're trying to make sure they have a safe place to live, work and enjoy themselves.”

The mayor said the biggest cost would be in finding a suitable location,

He said plans are too preliminary to announce a potential opening date.

Maddox also said the downtown precinct was part of an overall plan to enhance security and safety in the downtown and Strip areas.

The city is working on a partnership with the University of Alabama to upgrade lighting, add additional surveillance cameras and increase other areas of public protection in places where large crowds tend to gather.

“In the next several months, we'll be rolling out several things that enhance security in the Strip and downtown areas,” Maddox said.

<p>With the success of Tuscaloosa Police precincts in the eastern and western areas of the city, officials now are looking to bring a stronger police presence downtown.</p><p>Mayor Walt Maddox has announced plans to open a fully staffed, around-the-clock police precinct in the downtown area.</p><p>Details are not finalized, but the mayor said it may be in one of three locations: an unused space on the bottom floor of the parking deck, an empty lot behind the former Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama building or a connection to the Tuscaloosa Municipal Court building.</p><p>“Since 2012, our central city has continued to grow — which is a good thing,” Maddox said. “We have high concentrations of residents living in these areas, and the (police) chief and I agree that the timing is right.”</p><p>Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson announced plans to decentralize the police department soon after taking over as head of the police force in 2008.</p><p>This led to the construction of the department's East Precinct, which brought about a crime rate drop of 38 percent just six months after it opened in 2009, and the West Precinct that opened in August.</p><p>However, Anderson said he did not consider a downtown precinct at the time because downtown had yet to become the hotbed of growth in the residential and commercial markets that it is now.</p><p>“With the growth of downtown, in both residential and entertainment areas, it just makes ... more sense to put more public safety resources down there because we're having more people moving downtown to live,” Anderson said. “We're trying to make sure they have a safe place to live, work and enjoy themselves.”</p><p>The mayor said the biggest cost would be in finding a suitable location,</p><p>He said plans are too preliminary to announce a potential opening date.</p><p>Maddox also said the downtown precinct was part of an overall plan to enhance security and safety in the downtown and Strip areas.</p><p>The city is working on a partnership with the University of Alabama to upgrade lighting, add additional surveillance cameras and increase other areas of public protection in places where large crowds tend to gather.</p><p>“In the next several months, we'll be rolling out several things that enhance security in the Strip and downtown areas,” Maddox said.</p><p>Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0200.</p>